How Are Texans Affected by Talcum Powder Injuries?
Even considering the hundreds of talcum powder claims that have so far been filed, the ubiquitous nature of this consumer product suggests that there are probably thousands more that are not yet reported. When a manufacturer is accused of the degree of negligence currently associated with Johnson & Johnson about its baby powder and other...
Compulsory Vaccinations: I Want My MMR
On July 1, California's state bill No. 277 went into action. This legislation effectively bans the admission of unvaccinated children to public schools for grades K-12. Children who have not been given the standard shots to help prevent serious diseases will not be allowed to attend school with their vaccinated peers. Laws like SB 277...
Sweat the Small Stuff: A Talk About Talc
Almost regardless of what we're doing, we perspire. Running, working, even on an evening stroll--at least in Texas--our bodies work hard to cool us off. If that's a problem for us now, try to picture the madness of strolling down the boardwalk in the middle of the summer a century ago, casually wearing a suit...
Zofran and Birth Defects: The Hidden Cost of Keeping Lunch Down
A common prescription for mothers-to-be is a powerful antiemetic (a nausea control agent) called Zofran. It has been putting corks in people's urges to vomit since 1991, and was hailed for many years as a "godsend." More recently, however, research has shown that Zofran use can have extremely harmful effects on a developing fetus. Too...
Examining The Validity of Pokémon Go Injury Claims
"It's all fun until someone loses an eye." Lately, I hear those words echo in my head whenever I contemplate the current Pokémon Go fad. Whattymon What? Pokémon Go is a downloadable smartphone-based app where the user plays the part of a "trainer," moving around the real world and attempting to catch cartoon animals (Pokémon)...
Can I Sue for Injuries Sustained from Taking “Enhancement” Supplements?
All the product names used in this article are real. Truth is stranger than fiction. You see them at gas stations all the time and scoff at their ridiculous names--"Rhino 7." "Super Samurai-X." "Mojo Risen." The products often feature a passionate couple or some "powerful" animal on the packaging, though sometimes they go a little...
A Look at Exploding E-Cigarettes and the Law
Over the last three months, numerous exploding electronic cigarette (e-cigs) stories have made the news. These incidents occurred in places such as Flower Mound, TX (near Dallas), Colorado Springs, Betonville, AR, and Naples, FL. Unlike at least 25 other exploding e-cig stories that have been documented since 2009, this new rash of stories is notable...
The Season’s Hottest Gift: Flaming Hoverboards
UPDATE: On Monday, December 14, 2015, Amazon announced that it would stop selling hoverboards until manufacturers present more evidence that the toys are safe for consumers to use. In the spirit of every other news organization, we would like to credit our story, which Amazon probably never read, for being the reason that this product...
Why are Batteries Blowing Up?
If you have caught the news lately you may have noticed an increase in stories about fires being started by electronic devices. Everything from battery powered cars, toys, cell phones, laptops, to electronic cigarettes seem to be catching fire, exploding, or in some way injuring people. While it is easy to find these stories, most...
Recalled SharkNinja Blender Cutting People
Thursday, SharkNinja issued a recall for 1.1 million BL660 blenders. The blender has a stackable blade assembly, which apparently does not lock into place. So people take the lid off to pour out the contents of the blender and get razor sharp, samurai (or maybe shark's teeth) blender blades falling out with their smoothies. Just...
Another Month, Another Chipotle Food Poisoning Outbreak
Well that was close. Chipotle Mexican Grill almost made it through a month without another food poisoning outbreak, when news broke the Sunday before last that Chipotle was temporarily closing 43 locations in Oregon and Washington. For those of you who missed it, this is the fourth mass food poisoning attributed to Chipotle in the...
Stop Me if You’ve Heard This Before: Honda Airbag Recall…
It is getting pretty hard to come up with new Honda Airbag recall headlines. Honda has announced an airbag-related recall for 25,367 2015-2016 Fit LXs. Apparently, poorly manufactured rear grab handle brackets can puncture the side curtain airbags when they deploy. In short, you get hit, the side curtain airbags are supposed to protect you,...
110,000 Ford Edge Vehicles Recalled Due to Fire Hazard
Despite being based in Michigan, it appears that Ford did not get the memo that during winter, northern states coat their roadways with salt to melt the snow and ice. If Ford had known this carefully hidden secret of "northern culture," they would not need to recall 110,000 2009-2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX cars,...
Club Car Recalls 11,600 Golf Carts Due to Fire Hazard
Thursday, November 5th, Club Car announced the recall of 11,600 Golf Carts due to a fire hazard. It appears that a hose clamp can rub a hole in the fuel tank, causing a fuel leak, which may lead to a fire Who makes this product? The golf carts are manufactured by Club Car LLC, located...
GE Recalls Zoneline Heating and AC Units Due to Fire Risk
Tuesday GE issued a recall of 33,500 Zoneline heating and air conditioning units due to an issue that could result in the appliances catching fire. When the unit is used with the vent door opened, moisture from outside can accumulate near the electrical components inside the device and lead to a fire. Who makes this...
Twirl 360 Curling Iron Recalled Due to Burn Hazard
Thursday, November 6th, T3 Micro Inc., issued a recall for the T3 Twirl 360 curling iron. Apparently, there have been over 130 reports of the clamp detaching leading to potential burn injuries. Who makes the product? The product is imported by T3 Micro Inc. It is manufactured in China, but the name of the producer...
Rhino 7 3000, “Male Enhancement Drug” Recalled
We were originally going to let this one slide, because so-called "male enhancement supplements" are junk products with no scientific backing whatsoever. However, last Wednesday, all Rhino 7 3000, both the regular and the platinum capsules were recalled by Premiere Sales Group. This wouldn't be all that newsworthy if there wasn't also a recall of...
Fire Alarms that Fail During Fires by Sure Signal Products
Sure Signal Products issued a recall of around 375,000 heat-activated fire alarms last Thursday, October 29th. Apparently, these marvels of modern engineering have an issue with a fuse that prevents them from going off during a fire, making these items the most fire-alarm looking decorations around. Who makes this product? The product is manufactured by...
Another Honda Airbag Recall?
Last Thursday, October 29, Honda announced another airbag recall related to malfunctioning Takata airbags that can potentially rupture and shoot metal fragments into a driver. The recall affects 515 2016 Honda CR-V's. While absolutely tiny compared to the massive recall of over 19 million vehicles earlier in the year, it appears that the problem is...
Auvi-Q Injectors Recalled Due To Dosage Issues
On Friday, October 30th, a voluntary recall was issued for all Auvi-Q epinephrine injectors on the market, due to issues with improper dosage. In some cases the injectors failed to deliver any epinephrine at all. These devices are used by people suffering acute allergic reactions, or anaphylaxis. In an emergency, the devices may fail to...
